Paint Waste Reduction and Disposal Options

This report presents case studies which document site visits conducted to characterize paint related waste activities of Illinois paint manufacturers, users, and waste processing facilities. Case studies are presented for eight paint users, four paint manufacturers, and one paint related waste processing facility within Illinois. In addition, two case studies document visits to waste processing facilities outside Illinois which process significant quantities of Illinois paint related waste. The report includes an overview of paint manufacturing and application technology which introduces the processes which result in the generation of paint related waste. An overview of the case studies then describes methods currently used by manufacturers and users to reduce paint related waste through modifications of procedures and applications of new technologies. The complete case studies which follow the overview provide a concise description of the findings at each site. The report concludes that greater emphasis should be placed on reducing wastes by Illinois paint users than by Illinois paint manufacturers. The study also found a lack of formal waste reduction plans at most of the facilities surveyed, even though significant waste reduction efforts had been undertaken. The results of the case studies suggest that existing environmental regulations and the New Clean Air Act, are already sufficient to provide powerful legal and economic incentives for both users and manufacturers of paint to implement VOC waste reduction measures. The case studies also indicate that cooperation between paint users and paint manufacturers is leading to the emergence of technologies to reduce paint related liquid wastes by capturing and reusing overspray generated in the application of liquid paints. Based on the site visits, it would appear that most paint related liquid wastes do not reach the environment untreated. The case studies suggest that opportunities for improvement exist in the area of solid waste handling for both manufacturers and users of paint. In particular, while larger users and manufacturers tended to indicate they disposed paint related solid waste in a special waste landfill, smaller facilities, such as auto body shops and small paint manufacturers, tend to rely on general purpose landfills. Data on quantities of solid wastes generated were also often lacking at many of the sites. The case studies suggest that both paint users and manufacturers would benefit from additional guidance on proper handling of paint related solid wastes.